Means for interengaging and aligning the members of hinged bag frames



March 20, 1928.

F. T. STUART MEANS FOR INTERENGAGING AND ALIGNING THE MEMBERS 0F HINGED BAG FRAME Filed Oct. 22. 1926 1 VE ToR. QWZ

BY I

, ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIlcE.

FRANK T. STUART, OF-1VIAPLEWO0D, NEW JERSEY,' ASSIGNOR"TO 'lHEfR".V NEUNIANNy i HARDWARE C0., A CORPORATION vO11"I NEW JERSEY.' Y

MEANS FOB INTERENGAGING AND ALIGNING THE INIEEIMIBERS OFL EINGED BAG rkIFIIMLBIIES.` c' i j i PPlnationAled'ctobr 22, 192,6. Serial Ne. 143,847.

This invention' relates .to an 'llllplove'd meansfor interengaging, and aligningthe members of hinged bag?frames,` the princi-f pal, object of the nventionfbengrto provide f in connectionfwith a lbag-'frame comprising an outer frame-member and an inner frame member uso: hinged together that the latter telescopesj into the former when thef bagframe is closed, a novel arrangement and construction'of means which serve tointerconnect and support lthe closed frame-'members against vertical- Separation tion, whileat thesametime affording stop means for aligning thefinner. frarnefmember l5 withithe outer frame-memberso as to as-4 sure proper mutual engagement and cooper ation ofthe locking or fastening devices with which the framefmernbers are furF nished, and .bywhich they are retained in` closed relation. A A

A, further object of thef'invention isp to provide combined supportingand aligning racketsofsuch constructionathat they may be secured toi the outer frame-member in association ywith, the handle-loopy bearings thereof, so thatv their supporting-functions are applied at points correspondingtol the application of liftinggforce vtot-he bag,-frame, v

3o bending apart cofy one frame-memberrelativetol the, other under the weight of the the'. claim. c l

In the drawings-.accompanying and forme? ing part Figure of this specification: y

1 is a fragmentary side elevation ing. and aligning brackets made according to Vand embodyingthe principles -of thisI in-` vention or dStOrf.

the xend that vertical separationl or With the foregoing and other objects in-y hereinafterand particularly pointedy out 'in of a bag with the frame open, the same being providedwith the novel combined support-,f

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinel section through the outer frameemernb'er,

showing the associated operative relation off a combined supporting and aligning bracket with a `handle, loop bearing thereof; I- f Figure?? is av transverse section, tak

frameqnembers, closed;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, takenk on y line 4 4 1nv Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective, view of lone ofl n on" line'B-B inFig-ure 2, but .showing they the novel combined supporting -and-align-' ing brackets removed irom. the bag-frame. y Similar characters of reference are ern-V ink all of the hereinabove described ployedv views, to indicate corresponding parts;

Referring now to said drawings, the ref1 erence charactersvand 6` respectivelyindi-V cate the outer and inner frame-members of a, traveling bag or similarl article, and which are hingedrtogether` aty their ends (not shownlso as to close one upon-the other -in the well known manner, with the upper flange 6 of the'innerframe-member telescoping, within the outer frame-member 0f the."

so as tounderliel the upper flange 5 latter. Said frame-members may be each providedv withpa'n enveloping covering'? of leather. Said frame-members 5v and 61 may. be made in any conventional forni, and suit.- able for either riveting 4or', sewing attachyment ofthe bag-body 8 thereto ghthe draw-V ings showing, however, the formA of frame.l istructure `adapted. to receive sewn attach-l ment of said bag-body thereto. Inpractice the upper flange 65 of thev inner framemem ber is made., narrower'than the upper flangek 5 of the outer frameqnember, so that when the former is in closed relation to the latter, the free edge portion cf the upper flange 6I thereof underlies the outer'or free 'marginal portion` of the upper flange 5 Vofthe outer fra1ne-melmben ff Centrally disposed in connection with the upper flange -5 of said,` outerframe-member is any desired form ofcenter-lock 9y adapted to receive and cooperate with the haspfmembers' or locking elementsy 1 0- with which they inner frame-member is provided.

Mountedon the upperflange 5y ofsaid outer frame-member, so as to be respectively positioned adjacent to therespective ends of said center-lock 9'are handle-loop bearingl f the upper flange 5 devices, each comprising a body-1neniber 11 Arranged beneath the upper ilange of 4said outer frame-member, in vertical alignment with each handle-loop bearing device, is a combined supporting and aligning bracketwith which the upper flange 6^ of the inner framelmeinber'cooperates when moved into closed relation to' said outer frame-member. Each supporting and Valigning bracket comprises a base-plate 16 longi tudinally disposed against the underside of said upperflange 5', said base-plate having adjacent to its respective ends suitable perforations or openings 17 through which may extend the free ends of the clinching tongues or lugs 15 of the associated handle-loop bearing device. Vhensa-id clinching tongues 0r lugs 15 arethus extendedthrough said baseplate 16, the free end portions thereof are turned or clinchedover upon the underside of the base-plate 16, thereby operatively uniting the associated handle-loop bearing device and combined supporting andaligning `bracket sides of the upper flange of the latter. In-

tegrally formed with said base-plate 16 in` connection with its outer longitudinal edge is a depending stop-flange 18 against` which the free edge ofthe upper flange 6 of the inner frame-member abuts, so asto stop the latter in proper aligned relation to the outer fra1nemember when closed upon the latter. Integrally formed with'said stop-llange 18, so as to project outwardly and horizontally from "its lower end in a plane parallel to but spaced downwardly from the plane of of said outer framemembers, is a supporting flange 19, over and upon which the upper flange 6" of the inner frame-member passes, when the latter 1s closed relative to the outer 'frame-member; such engagement serving to interengage the upper flanges of the respective frame-members together, so that the same aremutually supported and reenforeed against vertical separation or distortion when the weight of the closed bagis` suspended from the baghandle 14. The free marginal edge portion of said supporting flange is downwardly Vturned or Vcurved to provide a guide-lip Q0 v against j vertical with the outer frame-member 5 j and respectively upon the upper and under to engage and guide the upper llange 6 onto the supporting flange when said inner framemember is closed upon said outer framemember. Y i v From the above description it will be readily understood that the combined supporting and aligning brackets possess a two-fold function, viz theyA both retain the closed frame-members interengaged and reenforced separation or distortion, thus assuring an equal distribution of the weight of the bag and its content relative to both frame members, especially at and adjacent to the point of suspension ofthe bag by the handle thereof, but he also serve as aligning stops to longitudinally align the inner ,frame-member relatiye to the o'ute'r frame-member and at -thef's'ame time stop or restrain any inward movement of the inner frame-member "beyond"u thatwhich is `desirable to haspmembers or locking elements 10lwith the center-lock device 9 when closingfthe `B properly 'engage the bag, thus preventing any? undue straining or distortion of the hasp-mennbersy or locking elements,

or the surrounding portions of the innerl frame-member from whichthey spring, which might tend to disturb or interfere with the proper 'cooperation thereofV with the center-lock device. f

Said combined supporting and-aligning brackets, therefore, serve both to relieve the center-lock device 9 and cooperating hasp-` members 10 from all undue strain `or stress arisinggout of the application of unnecessary pressure in closingthe bag, as Well as` to relieve such partsentirely from the dead weight `of the bag and its content.` j

While I have describedfand shown indetail thepreferred form and arrangement of means for interengaging; and. aligning" the members of hinged bag-frames, it is to be understood thatI 'do not thereby limit my'` precise features shown and invention ,to the described, as I amaware that manv mechan` ical changes and modilications may be made therein without departing from. the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth the claim appended hereto` Having thus described g my' invention, l vI Y In combination with the outer and inner` `bag-frame, longitudinally spaced handle-loop bearings on said frame-members of a outer frame-member, said handle-loop bearings having depending clinching lugs to pass through the body of said outer frame-mem-h ber, combined supporting and aligning brackets having -perforate base portions disposed against the underside of said outer frame-member and through which -said handle-loop bearings clinching lugs of said also extend, said clinching lugs being clinched over said base `portions to thereby rigidly and mutually secure said handle loop bearings and combined supporting and aligning brackets in aligned relation respectively above and below said outer framemember, said base-portions having stopflanges dependingfrom their outer marginal edges against which the 4free edge of the inner frame-member abuts when the frame is closed, and outwardly projecting horizontal supporting flanges extending from the lower free ledges of said stop 10` flanges over and upon which the free marginal portion of said inner frame-member is engaged when the frame is closed.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand 15 this 19th day of October, 1926.

FRANK T.l STUART. 

